Clemson Football and head coach Dabo Swinney are now 4-2 through seven weeks after shutting out FCS program Charleston Southern, 37-0, this past weekend. Now, they enter the most important stretch of the season, which starts with ACC foe Virginia Tech .
That said, Clemson Tigers on SI has created a list of three opposing players - and an honorable mention - that the Tigers cannot afford to ignore entering the Week 8 matchup.
Sep 19, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies running back Jeffrey Overton, Jr. (16) leaps out of the grasp of Maryland Terrapins defensive back Lavain Scruggs (2) to score a touchdown in the first half at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Entering the season, former Division II transfer Marcellous Hawkins Jr. was named the RB1 for Virginia Tech, but as we head into Week 8, a lot has changed.
Sophomore Jeffrey Overton Jr. has broken out for the Hokies across the first seven games of 2026, totaling 613 rushing yards and four touchdowns on just 103 carries (6 yards per carry). He currently sits top 20 nationally in rushing yards and is sixth nationally in yards per carry (min. 100 attempts).
Hawkins Jr., meanwhile, has carried the ball 79 times for 325 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Still, the fifth-year bruiser should remain involved in the Hokies' offense this weekend against the Tigers, particularly on third-and-short and at the goal line.
Oct 17, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Aycen Stevens (42) celebrates a sack against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Stevens has been on a tear throughout the first half of the 2026 season.
The 6-foot-5, 264-pound edge rusher has anchored one of the best defensive lines in the country while totaling 18 tackles, 11 for a loss, eight sacks and three forced fumbles across seven contests. He is currently tied for the third-most sacks and the fifth-most tackles for loss nationally.
He's not the only dominant one in the trenches, either, as fellow defensive linemen Cortez Mills and Mylachi Williams have combined for 13.5 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks in the same span.
That trio has helped Virginia Tech build the nation's No. 10 rushing defense , which allows just 87.4 yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry. The Hokies do have one weakness, though: the end zone. They've given up 10 rushing touchdowns, making them one of only five teams in the top 50 rushing defenses to allow 10 or more.
Oct 17, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies wide receiver Que'sean Brown (3) runs after a catch against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After finishing in the top 10 in ACC receiving yards last year at Duke , Brown transferred to Virginia Tech, where he has kept up his dominance and emerged as one of the best receivers in the country.
Through seven contests, the 5-foot-8 senior has logged 46 receptions for 616 yards and three touchdowns. He has all the momentum heading into Week 8, too, as over half of those yards (392) have come over the past three games. Brown currently sits 12th nationally in receiving yards (4th in the ACC) and is tied for 15th nationally in receptions (5th in the ACC).
It's also worth mentioning that he shares the field with Luke Reynolds, who currently leads tight ends nationally in receptions and receiving yards with 43 catches for 449 yards and four touchdowns. His 43 receptions are also top 20 nationally, regardless of position.
Oct 17, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer (17) throws a pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Junior signal caller Ethan Grunkemeyer is one of the most familiar opposing players Clemson will be facing this weekend, as he started for Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl last season . In the contest, he looked the part, completing 23-of-34 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns in the 22-10 victory.
Following the season's end, he decided to follow the coach who recruited him, James Franklin, to Virginia Tech, and it's proved to be the smartest decision he could've made. Through seven contests this season, he's completed 72.9% of his passes for 1,984 yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.
He is currently first nationally in completion percentage (min. 200 attempts) and fourth in total passing yards . The Hokies' passing offense also ranks No. 11 nationally .
However, he could have some problems this weekend. The lone elite passing defense he's faced this year, which was Boston College in Week 4, held him to a season-low in both completion percentage (62.9%) and passing yards (147).
Now, he'll face a top-40 passing defense in Clemson, which has previously shown it can lock down some of the best quarterbacks in the country, let alone the ACC (e.g., Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele).
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/clemson as 3 Opposing Players Clemson Can't Afford to Ignore vs. Virginia Tech in Week 8 .
